


Let's have Coffee with Friends

by vasamalulu



Category: DBSK | Tohoshinki | TVfXQ | TVXQ
Genre: Other, Squint and you miss it relationship, for now i guess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-11
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2019-11-15 12:30:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18073439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vasamalulu/pseuds/vasamalulu
Summary: Yunho doesn't quite know what he's signing up for, when he signed his day off away.  But it's Hojun-hyung, and the orange orchard in Jeju is beautiful this time of year. This is a chronicle of a gentle (haha), very much above board, day in Jeju.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Spoiler alert to those who haven't watched Coffee Friends! 
> 
> Despite the failed attempt at grandiose description writing, this is basically just a rewrite of Yunho's CF episodes (eps. 4 & 5) from the eyes of a dirty fanfic writer. Gomen ne~ XD
> 
> And, if you want to go straight into Homin content, it's Chapter 8 (only... so far... might add more? later? maybe?)

The call came when the night was stillest, sometime near dawn, when it's pitch black. It was Yunho's manager, and a fresh sense of guilt came over him as he took the call.

"Hojun-ssi..." the voice came online immediately. Technology was really getting good, he thought to himself. He could hear the man's bone-tired annoyance loud and clear.

"Look, I feel bad already," Hojun nudged a word in before the other man could say anything. "I'll talk to the PD and cancel tod..."

"That's not why I called," the manager exhaled every word heavily. "I'm already at the airport with Yunho-ssi."

The bedside clock told him it was already a few dozen minutes past 4 AM. He had slept like a rock, apparently. He couldn't help but wonder if Yunho had slept at all.

"To be honest, I never expected to be back at the airport so quickly after we had just left. If we were in the international terminal, we would've met the same shift crew," the manager laughed at his own joke before sobering up quickly. "As I said, this is not why I called. Yunho's flying out single this time, so you need to make sure someone's there to pick him up and play security detail for him too."

The phone call didn't last long either. And a few moments later, a message came into his inbox with Yunho's flight details.

* * *

He always liked working for TVXQ, and Yunho especially. But he would be lying if he didn't wish it wasn't so challenging.

Yunho was still charming the first-class lounge staff when he returned and he knew better than to tell the man to rest, so he merely put food and water into Yunho's hand one after the other.

When the duty manager finally broke up the impromptu meeting and ushered them to a private cubicle, he knew that Yunho was all but dead on his feet.

"Hyung, I'm sorry," Yunho croaked even as the airport-issue massage chair was doing its work. Earnest fever-bright eyes looked up at him, and whatever reprimand he had for his errant-charge died on his tongue.

"Don't worry about it, it's not my first rodeo," he sighed, dreading the mountain of work already waiting for him. "Just wished you would agree to take Myunghwan-hyung with you."

"I'll be spending the whole day on-site. He'll be bored stiff. I'd rather he spend time with his family," and after a beat, "and you too, hyung... take a break; we'll figure out stuff once I get back. We have time."

They looked at each other, blinked, and laughed tiredly. Time was the only thing they didn't have.

Their 15th anniversary album launch was in less than a week, and the supposed one-day break they got for today had only come after literal blood, sweat, and tears. They owed so many people so many things for giving help and putting in some extra effort. He still had to take Super Junior's manager pool out for some high grade beef, and hoped to hell that BoA-nim's PA wasn't still holding some grudge over it.

"I wish you'd just take a proper break like Changmin-ssi," he said instead. 

"It's only Coffee Friends. It's nothing strenuous. The last time, it was just driving a coffee truck around, and greeting people. I like greeting people," Yunho said, a smile on his tired face. The kind of smile that made everyone give in to his demands. Everyone except... "Changminnie's off hiking with Kyu-Line, so I'm not sure what you're trying to get at," Yunho scoffed--eyes closed, face slack, and half-way to a nap.

"Changminnie...er...Changmin-ssi doesn't know that you're actually _working_  in Jeju."

Yunho couldn't have gotten paler, he thought. Must've been the lighting, he reasoned. And before he could throw in another jab, the door opened again. He was afraid it was another fannish staff member, but it was just someone who came in pushing a spare massage chair. She plugged it into the wall, and left quietly before he could thank her properly.

He flopped down in it and groaned at how good it was, "I'll come fetch you in Jeju once I get everything squared off at SM, okay. We'll fly back together."

"Thanks, hyung. Though you don't have to."

He didn't mean to close his eyes, but his loosening shoulder muscles must've also loosened the muscles around his eyes.

"I'll wake you up before I leave," he heard Yunho telling him. He wanted to reply, but he guessed that his mouth muscles must've gone loose as well.

* * *

Hojun was maybe more anxious than he should be, so much so that he was already rehearsing his apologies over and over in his head. He tried to play it calm, but he knew he was obviously nervous. The others even pointed it out to him when he snatched his phone a fraction too quickly when the message tone beeped.

"Yunho-ssi's safely boarded. Should arrive soon."

He lifted his head, just in time to have a production staff pass him a piece of paper with the numbers of Yunho's pick-up crew. He smiled his thanks and marvelled at how good the staff were. Yunho would love them, he thought absentmindedly as he typed out the information for Yunho's harried manager.

He was in the middle of putting in the driver's contact number, when another message appeared across the top of his phone.

"Hojun-hyungnim, how are you? I'll leave Yunho-hyung in your care." 

He laughed nervously, though he didn't mean to.

Most people might find the message cute. In fact, one of the Coffee Friends intern was a Choikang Changmin fan and would always rave about the man's kind-looking smile. She was so excited when she heard that U-Know Yunho was coming, just for the possibility of digging Changmin dirt from the man. She'd definitely gush at the text.

Hojun wondered if she knew how ruthless the boy really could be, especially when it's about a certain someone.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Interlude: Calm Before the Storm

The sky was blue and the air was cold enough so one could see one's breath. Someone had turned on some easy listening very low in the background, so it wouldn't compete with the birds that were reluctantly singing.

Each of the cast had a pretty laid back personality, generally sedate and not the kind to get overly excited. They also only had minimal onsite crew, equally calm and quiet, relying mostly on remote-controlled static cameras for footage. 

The quiet atmosphere suited him and his lethargy just fine, Hojun thought.

They pottered around the kitchen in a low-key panic during prep; the clock ticking rather disinterestedly behind them. They peeled carrots, chopped potatoes, boiled water, stacked eggs, stirred sugar and cream and ground coffee beans. It was controlled chaos in an amateur kitchen.

The sun shone muted yellow. Cotton candy clouds floated lazily.

So when the background ambiance grew frenzied, without looking up from the noodle he was stirring, Hojun knew that his friend had arrived... somewhere. He craned his neck, but the guy was no where to be seen.

And yet, already the air was electric. Even PD-nim couldn't help but comment on it. Something along the lines of "the concept of the show was supposed to be a peaceful and calm winter restaurant in an orange orchard, not a rock concert."

They stared and stared at the front door.

Then they stared some more, until they gave up staring.

He didn't remember the path from the gate to the restaurant being so far, but Yunho's no where to be seen yet.

"Are you going to be having breakfast soon?" An intern burst in from the back door.

"Yes, why?"

The pot boiled over as if on cue; the noodle was soon ready. He stirred in a few drops of milk then switched off the heat.

"Writer-nim thinks it'll be nice if you can time it with Yunho-nim's arrival but..." the girl turned around and craned her neck and, "Oh my god why is he still smelling orange trees!"

"He's very easily distracted," Hojun couldn't help but chuckle. Contrary to the no-nonsense aura he projected on stage, he was one of the most absent-minded person Hojun knew. It was a point of mutual commiseration among everyone who'd been in contact with the man.

(It's a secret, but Hojun found some sort of kick whenever he saw Changmin-ssi scrambling on the stage herding Yunho around while trying to not appear so obvious about it.)

"Just tell him to hurry up," Hojun kindly instructed the girl.

"Is it okay?" the intern was afraid, he knew she was afraid of offending Yunho.

"He won't mind. In fact, he'll thank you," Hojun assured.

The intern threw one last disbelieving look before leaving. "Ah, she'll be fine," Hojun said when he turned around to see all his castmates looking at him incredulously. "We'll all be fine..." he looked around and felt the air crackle, almost against their will. "And we'll all be fired up today."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> H-1 and it's going to be a long shift

The door opened and Hojun felt his heart drop. Bright early morning sun had bleached Yunho's figure pale. The same bright light he was thankful for because it obscured the the slight downturn around Yunho's smiling mouth, and the pinched fatigue around those dark eyes. He knew the dark circles were there, too, buried under the best concealer TVXQ money could buy.

Gnawing guilt grew and grew and it lodged up against his windpipe, so much so that he couldn't even greet Yunho properly when the younger man swept him up into the big hug that always meant "How are you? I'm home, I miss you" to him.

He wondered if he was even imagining the slight tremble of Yunho's fingers across his shoulderblades and the tired exhale against the crook of his neck.

But, Yunho had too much practice playing the crowd and fooling them. So Hojun decided to play along and started to introduce him to the rest of the cast and crew.

Yunho was bright and smiley as he let go of Hojun, almost bouncing on the balls of his feet as he greeted the rest of the cast respectfully. He even looked tickled pink to be introduced to Sejong because the younger guy played in that TV series that Yunho secretly liked.

* * *

They sat down for breakfast, a simple one pot noodle, and made the requisite polite chitchat writer-nim wanted from them. They made one last jab about Yunho's passionate way of eating and eagerness to get started, before PD-nim finally let them eat the rest of their breakfast in peace.

"How was the concert?"

"It was great." The answer came in a loud reverent exhale, there were stars in his eyes. It was that wide-eyed sense of wonderment that never left even after fifteen years, which never failed to captivate Hojun's heart anew. "So many people came out to see us."

"It was a dome tour, I heard?" Because Yeonseok had been next to Hojun when he first made his call and Yunho had rattled off a series of dates that made his head spin.

"Technically it was...is... an arena tour, just that the last few stops are domes."

Sometimes Yunho forgot not everyone were musicians, and that Coffee Friends cast were actors. There were some blank stares and it was enough to launch him into an explanation of domes and arenas, stopping here and there to answer questions about Japanese variety shows and fanclubs, how long the tour was going to be, the people he met along the way. Yunho smiled like the sun and blushed ever-so-prettily when Hojun praised him for the stadiums.

Hojun loved watching Yunho soak up deserved praises. More than that, though, he loved seeing Yunho return the favor and dish out praises. He loved watching the recipients be awed and bewitched by Yunho's careful choice of words. 

Yunho ribbed Yeonseok goodnaturedly because now he had a rival for Hojun's precious phone time and affection, and congratulated Jiwoo-noona on her wedding. She was surprised he knew, and even Hojun was surprised that Yunho remembered an off-handed remark from nine months ago.

Kind-hearted Jaeyoon-hyung was instantly charmed and promised a whole bunch of autographs for Yunho's Sky Castle-loving juniors and assortment of trainees. Hojun mirthfully noted how the generally sweet-natured Sejong suddenly got a spark of fire in his eyes, in a way which reminded Hojun quite uneasily of a very young Shim Changmin.

"We should probably get back to work now," Hojun said and perhaps he had said it rather too forcefully.

Before Hojun knew what was happening and before anyone could stop him, Yunho was already on his feet collecting dirty dishes and already taking his job as Chief Dishwasher too seriously.

He cursed quietly under his breath, then prayed that the microphones did not pick it up.

 


	4. Chapter 4

Overworking was a familiar beast to them, all of them had been journeymen actors who toiled hard to claw their way up to where they were now. Even Sejong with his relatively short number of years in his profession was already a veteran in the making.

"He's going to break all the orange trees with his passion," Jaeyoon-hyung remarked after the older man went to the orange orchard to remind Yunho to leave some oranges behind for other people to pick. "You'd think he's a rookie by the look in his eyes."

"You don't want to see him as a rookie," Hojun said as he checked the herb pots and the spice jars. "I remember being scared to death," he said and everyone looked at him like he was exaggerating, or lying, or both. But Hojun knew he could never forget the look of pure hunger and desperation of someone on the edge, who would eat you up, whole and bloodied, just for one more opportunity to dance. To live.

"Well, now you're scaring us," Jiwoo-noona said, pointing at Hojun's thunderous brow while somehow still expertly folding cutlery napkins. He couldn't help but be amazed at noona's fingers. In a different life, noona might be a kindergarten teacher. Like maybe Yunho.

"We get it, you're like his number one fanclub," Yeonseok said, from his position in front of the jam stove. Yeonseok still remembered how Hojun all but snapped at him for seemingly trying to teach Yunho how to manage flight schedules.

( _"Even if you don't tell him, he'll know to take the 6 AM flight," Hojun had bit out. Poor Sejong was sweating by the end of it, only just realizing scary Hojun could be._ )

The same Sejong who was closest to the entrance, simultaneously enjoying the weather through glass and wiping down a table just in time for Yunho to push through the door with his shoulders with a crate of oranges in his hands. "Sejong-ah!" Yunho called with a smile that couldn't possibly be any brighter. "Your oranges!"

"Here, put it here," Sejong gave a table one last swipe before maneuvering Yunho there. "We should..."

"...make it a race," Hojun cut in-between. Sejong--bless the boy and his scary sharp instincts--merely moved respectfully aside and to the counter to resume whatever it was that Hojun had been working on, because he was quickly coming to a realization that Hojun had tunnel vision when it came to their kitchen's newest addition.

"I bet I can peel oranges faster than you," Yunho said with an competitive grin as Hojun slid himself onto the seat in front of his friend. Hojun could see that Yunho wanted to talk to him about many things, which was impossible when they're mic-ed and camera-ed within an inch of their lives.

Hojun toe-tapped Yunho under the table in what he hoped was reassuring, and he could see a smile bloom on Yunho's face, scrunched up and intent on peeling the orange in his long-fingered hands.

"I won!" Hojun couldn't help but crow after a good while had passed.

* * *

Later, Yunho was safely ensconced inside the washing room and Hojun finally found a good time to make a cup of Americano, as bitter-sweet and as cold as Yunho liked it. Sejong wandered up to him on quiet feet, wondering whether it would be wise to feed him such a cold drink so early in the morning in a Jeju's winter. "He's the type that eats ice cream at midnight, in the dead of winter, with flu so heavy he could barely open his eyes, so..." Sejong could only nod with his mouth open.

"He's an odd one," Sejong whispered under his breath. And after a beat or two, "You know, I thought he'd be a sore loser about the whole orange peeling thing," surprised at how Yunho just let everything slide with a smile on his face.

"He could be," Hojun said, grimacing about that time when they were forced to play bowling until their hands fell out of their sockets. "But above all, he knows things have their place and time."

"He knows how to take a scolding too," Jiwoo-noona nudged conspiratorially with a smile on her wise and beautiful face. Because noona had scolded them for being generally messy and leaving a kilo's worth of orange peel all over the table because Hojun couldn't wait to show Yunho how to bake bread.

"After 15 years with Choikang Changmin, he's used to it." Give or take a few years. Because nowadays noone really had the energy to nag anymore, half-resigning oneself to sighing and cleaning after Yunho rather than risking him making a bigger mess. Ask his manager.

"You won't believe it, but he's a bit better now that he's back from the army."

"The army does that to you," Jaeyoon-hyung concurred.

"What was the army like during the Peasant's Revolution?" Yeonseok asked, earning him a friendly bop in the head, because it was never not fun to poke fun at Jaeyoon's white hair.

Hojun laughed as he mopped the counter with a new rag. He reached to the space where he left the cup of Americano, to find it gone.

From the direction of the washing area, he could hear Sejong reminding Yunho to "not forget to take breaks and drink as often as you can, hyung."

Followed by Yunho's gentle laughter and quiet word of thanks. Hojun somehow knew that if his hands weren't soapy and wet, and being otherwise occupied, Yunho would've drawn the younger guy into a grateful hug.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, me and a bunch of friends decided take leave from work at the same time and went on a three-day weekend. I wish I could tell you that we went to some place pretty and tranquil like CF's orange orchard, but it was just a city getaway. Only that it wasn't a getaway at all, because we were stuck inside the hotel for the best part of the weekend because the weather was completely miserable and not letting up for anyone.
> 
>  
> 
> On the flipside, we caught up on a lot of movies, watched ungodly amount of news, sang as loud as possible without getting kicked out, talked shit until we lost our voices, fell asleep in a circle, woke up melancholic, and remembered why we are sisters for life.
> 
>  
> 
> Hope everyone has or had a wonderful and safe weekend. All the digital hugs in the world, for you!  
> 


	5. Chapter 5

Yunho washed at LTE speeds. Everything was clean in record time and nothing broke, so everyone agreed they should level up what was quickly turning out to be Kitchen Challenge.

The PDs and writers were all mumbling in the background about the atmosphere slowly veering off from the laidback theme they had intended for the show. They kept reminding Yunho to take it easy or to slow down just a little, more ice waltz than speed skating with sneakers on smooth flooring. They were worried about having too much unusable footage, and wouldn't it be a waste to cut Yunho's screen time to almost nothing.

He flashed them a smile and gave them a shrug, because along the lines of growing up, Yunho had learned not to apologize for being his energetic self.

"I'm fine with it, though, since the big reason coming here is to help Hojun-hyung earn some money for charity," he said. There was an exaggerated pause, and playful eyebrow lifting, "Although maybe my manager and the company wouldn't like not having free promo on top of not getting paid."

He laughed loudly, the way he always did when he's embarrassed for saying something cheesy or crunchy. But they all laughed with him, and Hojun swore the writers were slowly being swayed and this close to changing the theme of the show to 'hunger games--orange orchard version'.

* * *

So, Yeonseok decided that Yunho was going to peel potatoes, and before Hojun could parse out the request that was actually delivered in Basic Korean, let alone stop him, Yunho had already whisked the basket of potatoes back to the washing area.

Hojun who had volunteered to take over the orange-kaya jam stiring from Yeonseok, found himself in a pickle. There was no way he could help Yunho because the jam needed constant stirring to keep it from dying or burning or both.

He wondered if Yunho would come out again and ask for pointers, or if the man would just try to figure things out on his own, prefereably before losing body parts.

Just then he saw (ever attentive, sneaky, extremely competent in a low key way) Sejong walking almost casually up to the washing area and soon Hojun could hear the youngest member of their team explaining, like a seasoned pro, how to peel and de-eye a potato with a knife.

Sejong emerged a few short minutes later, looking well-pleased with himself.

The atmosphere calmed little by little now that the fiery ball of passion was safely tucked away, and Hojun was starting to find his rhythm with the stirring bit. He idly wondered whether Yunho's kitchen abilities had improved a little.

But just as soon as the thought came to him, he heard a short panicky yelp.

"What? Why? What?" Hojun paled immediately. He was irrationally ready to jump over stoves and burn the whole building down if need be to get to Yunho when he saw Sejong walked hurriedly but measuredly toward the washroom once again.

"It's better to hold the potatoes this way and the blade this way," Sejong wasted no time explaining and Yunho's humming his answers were so loud above his still-pounding heart because everyone were holding their breath.

So when Yunho began with "I think I get it now," and everyone shamelessly eavesdropped on the subsequent conversations where Yunho was the humble and attentive older student, asking smart questions peppered with low-key praises, and Sejong was the measured and caring younger teacher, giving thoughtful answers and clearly basking in the praises being given.

"Please take care of me," Yunho told the younger man, fully meaning it.

"I'll do that, I'll find something for you to do," Sejong replied. "Do you want more water? I think you should drink more."

Danger averted, everyone started turning their heads and gaze away from the washing room and toward Hojun. Jiwoo-noona was particularly mischievous with her raised eyebrows and silent "What's up with the overreaction?"

Hojun was almost resentful of the young man who walked out of the washing room with his head held high.

"He's a good boy," Hojun said instead.

"Sejong?" Jiwoo-noona asked, and Hojun nodded wondering to himself whether he really meant the youngest man in the cast and not the second-youngest.

"Yeah," he finally said. "Reminds me of me..."

"No way! You were never that eager! You were an ill boy!"

"I was honestly not well that time!" Hojun said, remembering how miserable he was during the whole taping process. And because talking about illness triggered something fearful in him, "I hope we won't have to send Yunho to the hospital after this... He's the type of person who wouldn't say anything..."

Jaeyoon-hyung and Yeonseok rolled their eyes the same way, silently asking, "Aren't you babying him a bit too much now?" And Hojun rolled his eyes in exasperation because, unlike him, everyone only knew U-Know Yunho, respected industry senior and leader of one of the most successful K-Pop groups ever (even if there's only two of them in the group), and everyone just looked at everyone else without saying anything, because how could you be diplomatic when the object of your discussion was only a few steps away, anyway?

"I heard it!" Yunho finally broke the silence by whisper-yelling from the washing area.

"Ah, I'm annoyed now, you don't care that much about us, we're tired too!" and just like that Jiwoo-noona salvaged Yunho's pride, whether it was her original intention or not.

"Me too!" Sejong added for good measure. "Ah so sad," he said theatrically. "So sad...," he grinned, everyone laughed, and it would be opening time soon.

  



	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> warnings for run-on sentences with too many commas and not enough fullstops.

It felt like ages, but Hojun was willing to bet that it had only been an hour (or two at most) since the start of the business-day, with diners trickling in like a steady leaking faucet.

Hojun's world was almost literally reduced to the five-by-two-tiny-steps space in front of the coffee machine, and his elbows were all about to fall off because apparently they had bought for themselves the most temperamental automatic grinder that ever existed.

At this moment, no amount of cajoling, begging, threatening, praying could get it to work properly.

Finally (finally!) crossing the last order on all the order sheets that Sejong had carefully laid out for him, Hojun shamelessly scarpered off to the washing area to complain.

"It honestly pains me to say this, hyung," Yunho stage-whispered as he continued to wash whisks and knives, mixing bowls and loaf pans at a steady pace. "And this is coming from me, famous breaker of things and the analog half of TVXQ, but..."

"...don't say it," Hojun cut that train of thought ruthlessly, then sighed as he made a show of collecting dry plates from the rack.

"Should I text manager-hyung to pick up a better automatic grinder on his way here?" Because Yunho knew Hojun-hyung well enough to know that, deep inside, Hojun was wondering how he could survive the rest of the week alongside a grinder with a grudge. Hojun sighed noisily, tried to convince himself he was not at all flustered when Yunho was all concerned eyes and pouty lips, always trying to take care of Hojun even though it should be the other way around.

"Anyway, are you tired?" Hojun changed the subject completely, touching the back of Yunho's hand that was closest to him, and hid it under the guise of collecting silverware.

"No, I'm fine," the answer was automatic, engrained along every nerve-ending of his tongue, like he could say it even when he's unconscious. But, Yunho's smile was as bright as the cutleries in his hands, and Hojun fancied himself reflected somewhere in those eyes.

Half-dry forks collided with dull breakfast knives, and Hojun missed the window to motherhen when Sejong walked in with a fresh pile of dirty dishes.

It was a small space, barely snug for two, and definitely a hazard waiting to happen with three very tired people holding breakables and various sharp things.

Hojun retreated first, laden with clean dishes that are cold against his fingers, waving away Yunho's panicked "wait, hyung, I haven't dried them yet," with a "I'll do it!" and a promise to be back with some sweet orange-flavored milk.

* * *

The cafe wasn't Yunho's domain and it showed. Skittish and unsure, he was a tall shadow hovering just within the doorway to the washing area, bursting with nervous energy itching to help, but wouldn't even know where to start that would not get up all over other people's business and make a nuisance of himself.

A minute later, he managed to corner Sejong for things to do. Between the two of them, they quickly figured that he's too much of a hazard near scalding hot foods. That crossed off "tend to the stew", "ladle stew into bowl", and "decorate stew bowl before serving". Yunho looked mildly apologetic but said that it can't be helped because the chef-half of TVXQ was not the one in the kitchen.

So, he ended up peeling more tangerines to feed to the juicer, while waiting for the group in the corner to finish their lunch. Hojun did not miss Yunho trying to sneak furtive envious glances at the couple on the counter, itching to talk to them or greet them beyond just a nod and a smile, but he wasn't sure if he could, because it wasn't in his job description.

Hojun took pity and opened his mouth, but Yeonseok--still sharply aware, even when he's half-flustered up to his eyeballs trying to make sense of the endless permutation of food orders--beat him to it. "Go greet the customers," the cafe leader told the newest part-timer kindly.

* * *

It began with a tentative venture of "Excuse me, are you a couple?"

The couple was celebrating their tenth anniversary together. Two years of marriage after eight years of dating and how many odd years of just knowing and being friends with each other. Their statement was matter-of-fact, but the way the looked and smiled and nodded at each other that very moment telegraphed a complex history. And even a blind person could see how desperately in love Yunho was with that idea of epic romances.

Hojun saw the exact moment Yunho's impulse got the better of him, "Ah, I hope to be a couple one day, too."

And Hojun was thankful that his hands was busy with the manual grinder because it was all he could do to stop himself from gathering Yunho into a hug. And if he were turning the lever with a little more than a bit to much force, then so be it. He hoped to all heavens and the blue skies outside that they couple would be kind.

"Of course!" the woman replied with enthusiasm and grace.

"Like there's going to be any doubt," the man said in a brotherly way, lacking in ridicule whatsoever.

The couple, clearly basking in their own love for each other, who were themselves just a step away from unicorns and strawberry-scented tangerines, put in some encouraging words and Hojun would've kissed them on the spot. He prayed for their happiness, instead. 

That sunny morning, as diners sat for breakfast and the kitchen chugging along nicely to the scent of bread and coffee, Yunho visited each table one by one and marveled at how lovely everyone were.

There was an older couple sat tranquilly reading by the window perfectly framed against the winter sun, with a whole universe of their own personal histories filling in the quiet spaces between two people. Hojun had sent Yunho to them with warm fat slices of bread and two cups of matching orange-tinged coffee.

Then there were a group noonas at the far table, one as radiant as the next, best-friends-since-forever who came to Jeju to reaffirm their unbreakable friendship after a nasty fallout. Jiwoo-noona came to them with fragrant stew and croque monsieurs to share, a graceful smile and measured pearls of wisdom. The women were hanging onto her every word, nodding along in slack-jawed awe not a little bit of reverence. Yunho was right alongside them doing exactly the same. 

A boy who had come with his mother and aunt found a sympathetic ear in Yunho. He complained loudly about being dragged out of bed so early in the morning. But then they would be picking oranges after breakfast and bringing them to granny, and after getting the silent nod of approval from Hojun, Yunho promised that the boy could go on his shoulders around the orchard if he wanted to.

Soon, the group of men at the other side of the island table scraped their seats back. The sound of chair leg against hardened concrete was nothing to write home about, but at that moment, it was perhaps a tad bit too loud, because at some point over the past ten minutes, everyone seemed to have stopped talking all at once to shamelessly eavesdrop on Yunho spinning fairy tales to soothe a sulky little girl who wished her father would let her wear her dungarees for the third day straight.

"Thank you for the meal," they said with a smile reserved for people with full stomachs and fuller hearts. They put money in the donation box, shouldered their bags and left as quickly as was polite, because apparently they had things to do, places to go, and people to meet.

So that's how the spell was broken, Yunho told the little girl who was a captive audience. "And now the story fairy has to go back inside and wash the dishes."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I went on a trip for work. And I don't know if I would ever want to ride on a plane with too many propellers, no in flight entertainment, too small space between seats, and too big of a rain outside the window... but it was fun somehow. Traveling to new places, with a dash of hairraising adventure, with people you trust and like, in a job you like... definitely recommended.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Skyworshippers in Jeju.

Work in the kitchen finally thinned out enough for their world to expand a little bit more than just the grill or coffee machine in front of them.

Straightening one's back, hearing the minute sound of bones cracking and aligning themselves--finding satisfaction in every small thing. The guest in front of him smiled at his groan. "It's been a tough morning, hasn't it?" she told him, as she mopped up stray stew with a piece of bread Hojun passed to her as complimentary service.

Hojun smiled, felt it grow bigger when he heard Yunho's voice drift out of the kitchen. "Oh! It's warm!" The distance and the cloth-covered door muffled most of it, but the sound of relief and adoration carried well across the space, eliciting a chuckle from anyone who cared to hear, even among the diners.

They had put more loaves inside the oven, using leftover dough they had set aside just in case. And Yunho had been using the oven as a makeshift heater. (It's your own fault for washing without wearing gloves, Hojun had chided. Although they both knew full well that a flimsy pair of rubber gloves could only do so much.)

Because, somehow, their hot water plumbing never took, despite everyone's best efforts (Let it not be said that the engineering-savvy part of their skeleton crew did not work hard to try and make it happen).

Sejong had been the first one to bring it up, not for himself even though his fingers had pruned badly that first day, but out of worry for the other hapless souls they would be roping in. Jaeyoon-hyung had aired his disappointment in a kindly way that made Yeonseok doubly sorry, and Yunho was just too polite to say anything (even though everyone with eyes could see, in horror, the way he subconsciously gravitated to ovens and stoves for warmth). Hojun was sure that they'd hear about it again, strongly, once Baek Jongwon-sonsaengnim arrived in two days time.

Hojun sighed, offering a top up of orange juice to the boy sitting on the table next to the window.

* * *

Delivering that last toast for the hour had never felt so good and Yeonseok gladly peeled himself off the grill to head outside.

Brisk winter chill woke him up, and the subtle tangy scent of fresh tangerines energerized him instantly. Jaeyoon-hyung's enthusiastic "What's good!" boosted his flagging spirits immensely. He rewarded himself with a good stretch, head tilted up toward the sky.

So this was Jeju's winter. Not white and muted brown like most other places, but the lightest blues against vibrant greens, warm coppertones, and the most succulent of yellows and oranges. He thought he could get used to it.

"I'm thinking..."

"You're thinking?" Jaeyoon-hyung asked while tidying up his small corner of the world--otherwise known as the tangerine stall.

"...of," Yeonseok refused to rise to the friendly bait.

"You're thinking of..."

"Do you think it's time to switch places?"

* * *

Jaeyoon had no love lost for kitchen sink, but decided that it was more than worth taking up those rubber gloves again when he saw Yunho light up at the mention of 'working outdoors', like he had just received an early present. He only managed to avoid getting hugged by quickly launching into an explanation of the many responsibilities of the Outside Supervisor--from tending to the diners in the outside tents, to selling tangerines, and everything in between.

It was a bit funny to see Yunho bouncing on his feet, raring to go, so excited to be outside.

"Do you really think that we would make you wash all day?" Sejong would wonder aloud.

"Sometimes he takes jokes too seriously," Hojun would answer on Yunho's behalf.

Because sometimes it was difficult to distinguish a joke from a serious statement, or to know whether it was a serious statement, or grievance, wrapped up in a joke. And erring on the side of caution or taking care not to hurt another person's feelings meant that, nine times out of ten on a good day, Yunho would miss the joke completely. Hojun was always worried that Yunho would give himself a complex because of it. The kid, forever worrying about other people, needed to know that sometimes there just wasn't anything between the lines to read.

Yunho, forever oblivious, just bounded out like a puppy happy to be let out of the doghouse, and gave every guest in the room a round of applause.

The ensuing clapping was sudden, loud and awkward in the room, startling most of their guests who were mostly minding their own business. One person who was daydreaming, gazing out of the window, might or might not be startled out of his seat.

In no time at all, though, mostly because Yunho's unapologetic enthusiasm was as infectious as he was himself magnetic, diners found themselves clapping along with him, then clapping to and with each other, gaily and happily. Like they were in the middle of a concert, even though birdsong overlaid by clinking utensils was the closest thing to music they had.

* * *

A long time ago, in what seemed like a lifetime ago, Hojun had asked, "Why all the clapping?" Because Yunho clapped for random people, make random people clap for themselves in random settings, even when they're just sitting there, doing nothing.

"I love it when people clap, I really do," he had said, like someone who had made a stage their home, who almost daily breathed in the kind of automatic emotional feedback completely foreign to a screen actor like him. Once upon a time, Hojun too had been on stage, lived on stage long enough to be breathing in the cheers and be affected by the occasional tears, basking in the waves that came rolling off the farthest seat.

"Why?"

They had been standing in-between the crowds waiting for the light to turn green, moderately drawing curious attention even when they were wearing very good diguises.

"No reason..." A beat of worried silence followed, like Yunho was not happy with his own answer. "It's just that I think people need to clap more." To congratulate themselves. To thank themselves. To celebrate.

"For what?"

For a job well done? A life lived? For hanging in there? For existing? "For what?" He asked again.

Pedestrian lights turned yellow then the green walking man appeared. A surge of people pushed them along and across to the other side. "For whatever you want it to be." Hojun thought he heard Yunho answering, though it might just be some stranger talking very loudly into the phone next to him.

* * *

Hojun stole a glance at the person standing outside of the clear glass door, now, watched Yunho's back curving in an arch as he threw a hearty laugh at a male guest's apparent joke. Then, came a series of small bows as Yunho opened the door for the guest and his friends to enter. They exchanged some more short words and Hojun fancied that he saw Yunho's high cheeks pinking a little, and the bowing got deeper. "Table for three please," the guest told Sejong who took them off Yunho's hands and whisked them to their seats.  

Five more hours to go, give or take. He gave Yunho a thumb's up, just because.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Interlude - a phone call, but not just any phone call

Outside was a blessing, Yunho thought. Not that he was ungrateful, but the walls of the washing up room was beginning to set his teeth on edge. On top of it, the dull repetitive rhythm of putting soapy rag to dirty dishes, then putting clean dishes onto the drying rack was hypnotic enough to slowly unsettle him. Some people liked doing dull, repetitive things, finding oases of calm in simple gestures. He envied people like that. Wished he could be like that. As of yet, to him, those gestures only caused his mind to empty, making room for things he'd rather not think about in the light of day.

So outside was nice. But outside also meant lulls. He suspected it was Hojun-hyung and Yeonseok-hyung's way of forcing him to take a break. During the snatches of time of no customers to entertain, he would huddle up with the crew, shooting the breeze over warm ginseng tea in small paper cups and eating whatever Yeonseok-hyung managed to make but didn't manage to feed customers, or whatever modest morsels that craft services had managed to send over.

They ran on bare minimum, so they could donate as much as possible, and Yunho found himself not minding if he had to eat oranges the whole day.

He offered to babysit a customer's son while the mother went to the restroom, and the camera didn't follow him around—partly because they weren't set up that way for budget reasons, partly because the mother was uneasy to have her son filmed without supervision.

An intern accompanied Yunho around, always helpful and ready. She told him to call his manager once he's free, because Yunho didn't pick up the phone the first three times. She would've told him more, but the customer's son demanded all of Yunho's attention and was too cute by half that nobody could deny him anything.

"I'm not mad," his manager would tell him later, once Yunho managed to collect his phone from his bag which he'd left at the back of the kitchen. His manager, always calm and patient with whatever quirks Yunho threw his way, didn't even let Yunho apologize. "You must've been busy with the taping, and I know you wouldn't trust other people with your phone."

The company had this rule about only managers were allowed to take care of artists' phones during shoots. Not even their stylists or coordis who'd been with them for many many years, certainly no show runners, not even PDs, and especially no outsiders even if they looked kind and trustworthy. So, on the odd times Yunho had to go do things like this sans manager, he'd put it on silent and no vibrate in his bag, because he would not be caught dead having his phone go off at weird times while taping. But this also meant radio silence.

And years being steadily shaved off Yunho's manager's life.

"Changmin-ssi's been asking for you."

Yunho hadn't checked his missed-call list, hadn't seen his unread texts, but he shuddered with cold dread.

"But he knows I'm with Hojun-hyung."

"But he doesn't know you're..."

"...working," Yunho finished with a sigh. Because Changmin or Changmin's manager or both usually knew his schedules and never called when it wasn't absolutely important. Because Yunho had never not picked up a call from Changmin, with its own dedicated ringtone, regardless of who Yunho was with.

Because on the rare times Yunho missed phonecalls, Changmin would fret, worry, and then yell at him in ways that made Yunho's heart cockles split open and become warm all over.

"I should call him, shouldn't I? And wasn't he on a hike with..."

"He  _is_ still on a mountain somewhere. But he is also looking for you. He wouldn't tell me anything. If it's not work-related, it's none of my business anyway, but yes maybe you should call him."

Because all the staff already had so much on their plate with the album release less than a week away, and didn't need to have one half of TVXQ breathing fire at them because the other half was practically AWOL.

* * *

It took him a while to get himself excused from taping for a spell, and everyone from Hojun-hyung to the youngest intern looked like they were seconds away from ditching customers to eavesdrop instead.

But he had other things to worry about because the phone didn't even have time to ring when Changmin's voice filtered through the earpiece. "You better not be injured or anything."

"I'm sorry I didn't hear your call. I had my phone on silent."

"I couldn't get through to you. Nor Hojun-hyungnim. And your manager is being shifty."

"We have an album coming up and a shoot tomorrow. He's allowed to be shifty," Yunho was crouching in a corner, and he was unconsciously making himself smaller, as though being a human armadillo could somehow save him. "You know I'm in Jeju."

"You're waiting tables in Jeju. And washing dishes and doing god knows what other manual labor when you're supposed to be resting. You're working in Jeju and it's not a meet-and-greet either."

"How do..."

"It's not important _how_ I know," there was a sigh and the odd gravel-crunching sound, and Yunho fancied hearing noises in the background like laughter of familiar voices. "I know you think you only need friends and air to survive, but you haven't been sleeping properly since the start of tour and..." things were only going to get crazier in 2019, was left unvoiced. 2019 was going to be uncharted territory for them, which they had eyed with trepidation with every number crossed off the calendar. More than anyone, Changmin knew what unknown waters could do to Yunho, despite the older man's bravado. Unfortunately for Yunho, he couldn't sweet-talk or fake his way around Changmin.

Yunho opened his mouth to give his stock apology, but apparently Changmin really had eyes in Jeju, because the next words came like "Don't apologize if you don't mean it."

"But I do mean it. And all the work here is nothing I can't handle." Because everyone knew that all the S's (like stamina, strength, and stubbornness) seemed to be all he was good at. "I like meeting people."

Meeting people invigorated him. Truth be told, Coffee Friends was like resting too, doing things for fun and not to meet some absurd expectations. Just to see families being families, friends being friends, and children being children. Changmin knew, of course, which was why he had toned down his nagging, but didn't mean he would stop worrying.

"You'd love it here," Yunho said instead, uncurling himself off his crouch. Changmin had always loved Jeju, for its mountains and for its food markets. He'd also love this kitchen, the view from outside the tall windows, the subtle scent of citronella, the small herb garden and makeshift vegetable patch at the back, the laughter of children.

(Yunho wouldn't say this out loud, but even the Portaloo they managed to put in looked quite cute).

"At least, tell me they're feeding you..."

Suddenly, the worry in Changmin's voice felt too much to bear. But neither could he lie to Changmin, or worse, admit to not being able to think about food at the moment. So he ended up spouting tangents and hoped Changmin was still the master of reading between Yunho's lines like he always had been. "You know they're doing Chef Baek's recipes here? He's even going to come help them tomorrow or the day after next. Then they're doing a whole new set with seafood! Doesn't it sound like fun? I'll get some of his recipes for you later."

He knew he was blabbering, hoping that Changmin would understand. Changmin relented with an unspoken threat. Like a child, Yunho thought how they would be so busy starting tomorrow, maybe they wouldn't have to talk about anything at all.

"Kyu got a message from Leeteuk-hyung," Changmin said suddenly. "Dong Bang Su Ju will _all_ go out to dinner tonight. So come straight to dinner from the airport. I'll text you the address."

"I..." Yunho didn't know what to say to that. He had a whole list of things he could say, like how it would be too late at night when he arrived because he'd be on the last flight in, for starters. But after a few exhales, he settled for "Okay."

"Okay, hyung."

"Text it the managers too. One of them will fly out to Jeju to pick me up, but I'm not sure wh..."

"Minho's doing it for me right now."

"Okay," Yunho stretched out his spine. Jaeyoon-hyung was minding the orange-stall in his stead, and there was a crowd around him because it seemed like three tables decided to leave all at once. One of the interns had to help out, but it also meant that this part wouldn't air.

From the windows, he could see Sejong and Jiwoo-noona clearing out the tables, and Yeonseok-hyung trying to relieve backache with the handle of a spatula. He couldn't see Hojun-hyung; maybe his friend was washing up. Yunho felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment. He felt like he was the only one slacking up.

A bird landed on a nearby orange bush, and it let out a startled chirp when Yunho tried to touch it. It flew away, its small flapping wings leaving behind a thick ball of cool air against his fingers.

"You'll really like it here. The view's amazing and the kitchen's up your alley."

"I believe you the first ten times you told me," Changmin said, ending his words with a tail of restrained chuckle. Then, silence stretched between them. It was that kind of familiar dependable silence, the kind where secrets hung in the codes of their breath. Thank goodness for technology, Yunho thought, because they certainly couldn't do this sort of communication via telegraph.

He laughed, even though he didn't intend to.

"You're thinking something weird again." He heard fondness beneath the teasing. Changmin's voice grew soft, infinitely kind. "Send me pictures later. Of the place."

The breeze picked up. An overripe orange fell with a plop to the ground next to him, so fat and swollen it couldn't even roll down small root-slopes. The sky was blindingly blue, with clouds like too well-fed cotton candy sheep. He wondered what it was like where Changmin was. How the snow would feel like, or how Changmin would look against the sky. 

"You too, send a picture?" He put the phone on his other ear, shouldered it, and rested his cheek on its warm smooth screen.

"I sent plenty to the group chat if only you'd bother to check." 

"Send one to me anyway." He pulled both sleeves down so he could grasp them with his fingertips.

A sigh and a chuckle, forever fond. "Okay, hyung." A hum. Yunho basked in the winter sun. "Yeah, okay."


End file.
